Museum plans for one-in-a-million

A Northumberland attraction is preparing to welcome its millionth customer with a special treat in store.

Close to a million visitors have passed through the doors of Woodhorn since its redevelopment and re-opening in October 2006, and staff are expecting the one millionth visitor to arrive sometime over the next few weeks.

The museum, just outside Ashington at the former Woodhorn Colliery site, is known for the world famous collection of paintings by the Ashington Group or Pitmen Painters, its vibrant and varied programme of award-winning events and exhibitions, and its fine Victorian colliery buildings, which help tell the story of the area’s proud industrial past. The site is also home to Northumberland Archives.

With its new family exhibition Brick Dinos combining the popular topics of dinosaurs and Lego now on, large numbers of visitors are expected to the museum during the forthcoming school holiday from right across the region.

Interim Director Jo Raw said: “We are looking forward to greeting our millionth visitor some time very soon and we will have a special Woodhorn welcome waiting for them as a thank you for being our VIP.

“With our new Chief Executive Rowan Brown taking up her post very shortly too, these are exciting times at Woodhorn.”